more than letters on a line today

  Under the Golden Sun, Jenny Ashcroft     St. Martin's Press  4.5 stars This is another heart-warming story from Jenny Ashcroft who turned me into a fan with her #MeetMeBombay. An historical view that transports you from England (and its rain) across an ocean to the sunny, hot Australia outback.

  Looking for Jane, Heather Marshall   Pub Date 01 Mar 2022 My rating: 5 of 5 stars   A book that will tear you apart with emotion as you read about the lives of women in the 60s-70s. But it will also remind you of the depth of friendship, the strength of motherhood and the resolve of young women to hold their lives together.   

      Bloomsbury Girls, Natalie Jenner  St. Martin's Press My rating: 5 of 5 stars Three indomitable women, a bookstore and a plan. What could go wrong? At a time when women could not graduate from Cambridge, and were expected to answer to the demands (who's making my tea?) of male colleagues and husbands. These women are smart and a force.   

  After years of writing about mindfulness and stories from the side-streets of life (because that's where we learn, right?), I've returned to my childhood ways of surrounding myself with the wonder of books, and the words that reach us when they need to. When you stop by more than letters on a line today you will read about what I'm reading, the thoughts I had when I was lost in the words, and the pieces that just didn't fit for me. I am of an age, when I know what I enjoy, but am open to meet a new author and the voyage they will take me on. I prefer stories about growth, how a character changes, and what and how they do it. I do not read science fiction, or anything with monsters (please don't ask me to review your new book). But if there's history, old (favourite book: Pillars of the Earth), set in the1930s-1950s, mystery or murder, or current words on improving your life (Keep Sharp) then they might spend time with me and my notebook. I'll...